Wine festival intoxicates Shillong

Shillong: An all-pervading passion came at Crinoline Swimming Pool here as Shillong Wine Festival, a unique event held for the sixth consecutive years, under went this afternoon. Ginger, mulberry fruit, strawberry, litchi, pineapple, passion fruit, blackberry, plum, banana and even jackfruit have been fermented to produce a large variety of wines for the two-day festival.

"We have been making wine from the local fruit sohiong for years now. People from all over the country, especially those practising medicine take the wine for its medicinal values," says Julian Laloo, head of the department of English at Sankardev College. "It is anti-oxidant and anti-ageing because it contains resveratrol, which is the best naturally available antioxidant that helps to tackle ageing," he said. Laloo, who sells his wine under the brand name of "Mummy`s wine", feels that the government should legalise wine making in the state. "There should be legal outlets for locally made wine," he says. "The ginger wine we make is soothing to a soar throat and is appropriate for the cold climate in Shillong," said an elderly woman, who has been fermenting wine in the backyard of her house in the city. The wine is made for family and friends and not for commercial purpose, she said. "I base my wines on seasonal fruits and they are in great demand during festivals like Christmas and New Year," says a retired government employee, who has taken to making wine with passion. "The age-old hobby of wine making with the local people can gradually grow as a cottage industry and then commercialized into an industry, which would automatically boost the economy of the state," says Michael Syiem, president of the Forever Young Club, the organizers of the Wine Festival. "As wine making gains popularity, fruit farmers will have a better market for their harvest. This festival will create awareness not only on the art of wine making but also its commercial potential as an industry which will in turn encourage the farming community to grow more fruit trees," Syiem said. Over 15 home brewers from all over the North East are participating in the festival. Bureau Report